Method and apparatus for draping dummies from an uncut length of cloth.



R. I. DOWNEY.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAPING DUMMIES FROM AN UNGUT LENGTH 0APPLICATION FILED Emma, 1912.

P CLOTH.

1,024,927. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

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@Mcm/i COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0 WASHINGTON. u. c.

R. F. DOWNEY. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAPING DUMMIES FROM AN UNCUTLENGTH OF CLOTH.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.16, 1912.

Patented A r. 30; 1912.

COI-vMBlA PLANOGRAPH cu. WASHINGTON. D. c.

R. P. DOWNEY. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAPING DUMMIES FROM AN UNGUTLENGTH OF CLOTH.

LPPLIOATIOK FILED FEB. 16, 1912. 1,024,927.

7 Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

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UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD F. DOWNEY, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO TAILORS FORMCOMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAPING- DUMMIES FROM AN UNCUT'LENGTH 0F CLOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Application filed February 16, 1912. Serial No. 678,118.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. DOWNEY, acitizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsand Apparatus for Draping Dummies from an Uncut Length of Cloth; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a quick, simple andeffective method and means for draping a garment length of cloth upon adummy to produce the efiect of a complete garment or suit, the methodbeing particularly designed for displaying goods in merchant tailoringestablishments for male customers in order to show the effect of acomplete coat and trousers, said effect being produced by folding theentire length of goods upon the dummy to simulate onehalf of a suit.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in the method andapparatus as hereinafter fully set forth with reference to theaccompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a view of a strip of folded cloth ofa standard length and width for cutting a complete suit of clothes, theclot-h being shown with a leg-gage attached thereto; Fig. 2 illustratesa front elevation of a dummy upon which the cloth has been folded andattached by means of the leg-gage; Fig. 3, a similar view of a dummyillustrating the second step in the method of confining the cloth aboutthe waist of the dummy and looping the same to the desired coat length;Fig. 4 a similar view of a dummy with the clot-h folded to form a lapelpreparatory to being draped over the shoulder of the dummy; Fig. 5 showsa side elevation of the dummy with the cloth confined to the shoulderwhereby the latter is held to the proper coat length; Fig. 6 illustratesa side elevation looking toward the reverse from that shown in Fig. 5,and. showing the draped side of the dummy, the cloth being folded overthe shoulder and confined by a detachable sleeve-frame; Fig. 7 a similarview of the dummy illustrating the end of the cloth draped over thesleeve frame preparatory to forming the contour of the sleeve about saidframe; Fig. 8 illustrates a rear view of the dummy illustrating aseparable sleeve-forming member which is locked in position in thesleeve-frame proper whereby the backline of the sleeve is formed and theend of the sleeve tucked in and finished; Fig. 9 illustrates thecomplete half garment; Fig. 10, a detail cross-section upon line 1010 ofFig. 2; Fig. 11, a detail cross-section of the A dummy at the waistline,the section being indicated by line 1111 of Fig. 2, showing the flexibleconfining cord for the folded cloth; Fig. 12, a perspective view of thesleeve-frame and its detachable member connected thereto for forming therear line of V the sleeve, and Fig. 13, a cross-section of the sleeveframe showing the cloth in place, 'thereabout, the section beingindicated by line lit-13 of Fig. 9.

Referring by characters to the drawings 1 represents a leg-gage to thebottom end of which is attached a semicircular arm 2, which armterminates with a cloth-gripping clip 3, there being a similar arm 2adjacent A to the upper end of the rod provided with a clip 3. Theleg-gage rod also carries a swinging finger 4 which is adjusted to gagethe length of a coat. As shown in Fig. 1 after the folded cloth has beengripped between the arms 2 and 2 the gage is adjusted to one leg of adummy 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom of the gage-rod rests upon theshoe of the dummy and the lower arm 2 draws the cloth between the legsof said dummy to form a single trousers leg, the upper arm 2 beinginserted in the crotch whereby the cloth is drawn tightly between thelegs of the dummy at this point. The

upper end of the gage-rod is then snapped into a locking ear 6, whichlocking ear is secured to the waist-line of said dummy. Thereafter thecloth is folded about the leg of the dummy to be covered and broughtaround to the hip of said dummy at the op sired length as indicated bythe finger 3 of the gage-rod. The goods may thereafter be folded to forma lapel as shown in Fig. .41, and to prevent said goods from fallingfrom the dummy in further manipulation the same is caught at the bareside of said dummy by a spring-snap 9, as best shown in Fig. 5, whichsnap is flexibly connected to the shoulder of the dummy. The lapel beingformed the goods is now folded back over the draped shoulder of thedummy and confined by a skeleton sleeve-frame 10, which frame hasextending therefrom a shoulderbar 11, the shoulder-bar being providedwith a vertical extension 11 that is fitted into a cap 12, which cap issecured to the dummy-neck. The shoulder portion of the sleeve frame 10is provided with a curved and serrated web 13 whereby the goods is heldin place after being folded over the frame and the lower end of thesleeve-frame is provided with a U-shaped cufl -band 14, the band beingopen at the rear line of the sleeve, which line is formed by a rod 15that connects one leg of the cuff-band with the shoulder-bar 11. Afterthe'goods has been folded over the sleeve-frame its front edge is tuckedbetween the coat portion and frame to form the front line of the sleeveas shown in Fig. 7 and thereafter the goods is tucked back of the rod 15which forms the rear line of the sleeve, said goods being held inposition at the rear line by a separable sleeve-rod 16. This sleeve-rodterminates at its lower end with a loop 16' which is inserted betweenthe legs of the cuff-band 1a. The upper end of the separable sleeve-rodis formed with an abrupt loop 17 which is snapped over the shoulder-bar11 whereby the goods is confined at this point. The end of the separablesleeve-rod 16 extends from the loop 17, terminating with a handgrip 17whereby said member is manipulated. Prior to inserting the separablesleeve-rod 16 in place the surplus length of sleeve is tucked into thecuff-band and when said separable sleeve-rod is adjusted the loop 16will serve to hold this surplus goods in position. Thus the sleeve, coatand trousers are well defined and to all appearances will show a correctmodel of a completed suit, the surplus goods back of the sleeve, asshown in Fig. 8, being drawn rearward so that this fullness will notshow in the side or front elevation which is presented to view.

While I have shown and described a simple method of forming a completeone-half suit upon the dummy, it is apparent that I may also form anovercoat upon the same by simply dispensing with the trousers sectionand looping the goods over the shoulder to the desired length of anovercoat. Thereafter the coat would be formed in a similar manner tothat just described in connection with draping the figure or dummy witha complete suit. It is also apparent that I may dispense with formingthe lapel of the coat in some instances, without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Thus from the foregoing description it will be seen that one-half of thedummy is draped completely, to produce the effect of a suit, the samebeing accomplished by utilizing a length of cloth or pattern, in whichlengths or pattern suitings are ordinarily sold, it being understoodthat the dummy may be draped for the inspection of a cus tomer andthereafter dismantled, or it may be draped for window display. Ininstances where it is momentarily draped to display the goods to apossible customer said goods would not become wrinkled in the processand can readily be smoothed out and folded after the operation.

I claim:

1. A method of draping a dummy to simulate onehalf of a completedtrousers and coat consisting of longitudinally folding a garment lengthof cloth whereby it is halved as to width, adjusting one end of thefolded cloth about the foot of the dummy and wrapping said cloth aboutthe waist-line thereof, securing one edge of the folded cloth in thecrotch of the dummy and around the leg of the same adjacent to the footto simulate a trousers leg, thereafter looping the confined clothdownward from the waist-line to provide a coat length, draping theremainder of the folded goods over the shoulder of the dummy, confiningthe same at the shoulder of said dummy by attaching a sleeve-framethereto, refolding the free end of the cloth over the shoulder wherebythe sleeve-frame is concealed, and tucking and confining the cloth edgesabout the sleeve-frame to show a complete sleeve outline.

2. A method of draping a dummy to simulate one-half of a completedtrousers and coat consisting of longitudinally folding a garment lengthof cloth whereby it is halved as to width, adjusting one end of thefolded cloth about the foot of the dummy and wrapping said cloth aboutthe waist-line thereof, securing one edge of the folded cloth in thecrotch of the dummy and around the leg of the same adjacent to the footto simulate a trousers leg, thereafter looping the confined clothdownward from the waistline to provide a coat length, thereafter drapingthe remainder of the goods over the shoulder of the dummy and foldingthe same to form a lapel, confining the same at the shoulder of saiddummy by attaching a sleeve-frame thereto, refolding the free end of theclot-h over the shoulder whereby the sleeve-frame is concealed, andtucking and confining the cloth edges about the sleeve frame to show acomplete sleeve outline.

3. A method of draping a dummy to simulate one-half of a coat consistingof draping the goods lengthwise from the shoulder of the dummy to thedesired length for a coat, thereafter folding the front edge of thecloth into V-shape at the breast-line to form a lapel, and draping theremainder of the folded goods over the shoulder of said dummy, confiningthe same at the shoulder by attaching a sleeve-frame thereto, refoldingthe free end of the cloth over the shoulder whereby the sleeve-frame isconcealed, and tucking and confining the cloth edges about thesleeve-frame to show the complete sleeve outline.

4. A dummy for draping uncut lengths of material to simulate a suitcomprising detachable means for securing cloth to one leg of the dummy,means for securing cloth about the waist of a dummy, means for loopingthe cloth from the waist of the dummy, a detachable sleeve-form forsecuring the cloth about the shoulder of the dummy, and means forholding the cloth about said sleeve-form.

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in thepresence of two witnesses.

RICHARD F. DOWNEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. YOUNG, M. E. DOWNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

